Pakistan lodges protest with India over bail of Samjhota Express carnage main accused

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan lodged a protest with India on Friday over the bail of the main accused in the Samjhota Express tragedy, Swami Aseemanand.

“The Indian deputy high commissioner was called in by the director general SA and SAARC,” a press release issued by the foreign ministry said on Friday.

“A protest was lodged against decision of the Indian National Investigation Agency not to contest the bail granted to Swami Aseemanand on ‘Special Leave Permission,” the press release added.

Further, it said, “The government of Pakistan has serious reservations on the efficiency of the court in processing and disposal of cases regarding terrorism, especially those involving deaths of Pakistani citizens.”

“No action has been taken by the Indian authorities against the mastermind and perpetrator of the dastardly attack,” it claimed.

Further, the government demanded the authorities in New Delhi to take steps to bring to justice all those involved in the heinous act of terrorism on the Samjhota Express.

The Samjhota Express, one of the two active rails links between the two countries, was bombed in February, 2007 resulting in the death of 42 people.

In 2011, Hindu extremist leader, Swami Aseemanand, had confessed that he was involved in several bombings incidents and also claimed to have been a part of the Samjhota Express train bombing. Swami Aseemanand is said to be a leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu group that shares close ties with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).